The many crimes of Peter Sutcliffe

A review of "Inside the Mind of the Yorkshire Ripper" by Chris Clark and Tim Hicks.

[Thanks to NetGalley for providing a complimentary digital review copy of this book.]

One of the worst things a critic or reviewer can do, I’m told, is to write about what book he wishes the author had written instead of accepting the book on its own terms. If I were reviewing a Danielle Steel romance novel, there are many ways I can critique the material, but it wouldn’t really be fair for me to say I wish Steel (and/or her ghostwriter) had written the life story of Mr. T instead.

Of course, any book would be improved by the inclusion of Mr. T. But I digress.

When reading Inside The Mind of The Yorkshire Ripper by Chris Clark and Tim Hicks, I tried to keep this principle in mind. But the writers have to do their own part, too. At the very least, they should give their book a title which actually reflects its contents.

Because Inside the Mind of the Yorkshire Ripper, about the shocking crimes of British serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, barely gets into the inner workings of his twisted …